New Santander Initiative

The New Santander Initiative is a grand coalition of political, business, and civil society leaders convened in 1695 in order to implement Vision 1795.

It was launched at the conclusion of the New Santander Summit, a congress of existing and emerging leaders that had been energized by the possibilities of Vision 1795.

Vision 1795

Vision 1795 was the brainchild of Paolo Antonio Aguilar, son of Javier Aguilar, and younger half-brother of the notorious celebrity Christina Aguilar. Its memorable rallying cry is, "Everything for Santander, Nothing against Santander!"

Vision 1795 is a distillation of points raised in the seminal manifesto, Regeneracionismo. In it, he argues for better social organization, stronger community institutions, more funding and support for education and small businesses, continued regulation but less bureaucracy for businesses, and closer coordination with community residents. To pilot his theories, he established the Santander Union, a mutual benefit and self-help association. Despite his frustrations with the political sphere, the increasing popularity of his ideas and the growing membership of the Santander Union, despite or in spite of his lineage, caused many of the elite to sit up and take notice.

New Santander Summit

The New Santander Summit was privately funded by donations sponsored by members of the Santander Union. Initially convened as an annual meeting of the Santander Union, it eventually evolved into a conference for ideas and ways forward, resulting into an accord and roadmap for the future.